


Fizzle Out

by ratherbeblue



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 17:39:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8336824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ratherbeblue/pseuds/ratherbeblue
Summary: A short moment between episodes 50 and 51.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a little exploration of how Taako might be taking the news he learned in The Eleventh Hour. I also really want to dive into Kravitz's character a little more, it seems so fascinating how he has such an insane job but also seems so down to earth? I don't know... let me know what you think!

When Kravitz answered the call on his stone of farspeech he wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when he would finally arrive, at Taako’s invitation, to his apartment again, but it sure wasn’t this.

As he steps through the rift he’s created into Taako’s living room he immediately spots him in the kitchen he had never noticed before. The elf is moving around quickly, trying to gather things from drawers and a few bags he has left out on the counters and Kravitz is slightly struck by how different he looks than usual.

Taako’s long hair is pushed up messily atop his head, leaving his long ears and face more visible than Kravitz had ever seen, and without the hat he can see red roots peaking beneath the blonde. He’s also wearing a pink sweater clearly made for someone three times his size and a pair of long unmatched stockings with not much else. Kravitz feels his face heat up slightly at the sight.

“Hey!” Taako acknowledges him, “Um…you can’t die, right?”

For a moment Kravitz is too shocked to say anything until finally:

“What?”

“I’m just pulling at straws here, but uh, it seems like dying in your position would be a bit, hmm…ill-fated?”

 “The circumstances that come along with my job…do, sometimes, require a bit of…non-mortal powers. Why do you ask?”

“Just checking in, grim reaper, right?” He was unsure before, but Taako seems to be teasing him now. “I’m about to start dinner, take a seat.”

“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Kravitz offers, even though he knows he’d be helpless at it.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Taako replies with an easy smirk, handing him a glass of wine.

So Kravitz sat down.

He sips his wine as Taako works and they chat about what they’ve been up to. Taako admits he’s played a bit of hookie that day, but insists that the way the Director has been putting them through the wringer lately is a bit extreme.

Kravitz naturally can’t go into much detail about his own work, but he’s happy to hear Taako’s lilting voice make even mundane tasks sound like an adventure.

“You know, I have missed this.” Kravitz murmurs, swirling the dark wine in his glass.

“Yeah?” Taako asks distractedly from back in the kitchen as he carefully measures out something in a cup.

“Yes, I was beginning to think I wouldn’t see you again, barring your early demise.”

Kravitz looks a little embarrassed for himself at that, but he simply clears his throat and takes another sip of wine.

“You could have called too, you know.” Taako replies a bit shortly.

“O-of course.” Kravitz replies and walks to the side of the kitchen where Taako is standing. He is intently reading a thermometer hanging on the side of a pot full of water. “You will have to forgive me, I am not exactly sure about what I’m doing here.”

“Are any of us, my man?”

Kravitz shakes his head.

“No, what I mean is…um, Taako? Your hands are shaking.” Kravitz puts his hand over Taako’s where it hovers between a knife and tomato. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Takko bites out, inhaling sharply as if he didn’t realize he had stopped breathing. “Everything’s just hunky dory and peachy keen over here, dude.”

He doesn’t quite meet Kravitz’s eyes, but he can see the tears gathered in them for a split second and it’s enough to send him into a tailspin of panic.

“Taako…” Kravitz takes his hand more firmly and spins him around so they face each other. “I…want you to know you can talk to me. I want you to talk to me.”

Kravitz tries to chose his words carefully. Their last meeting had given him a small bit of insight into what kind of complex character hid behind the elf’s nonchalant exterior, and the last thing he wanted to do was make him feel unwanted when that was so far from the truth.

Taako looks back at him, eyes a little less wet but still shaken.

“I just really thought I could do this.” He whispers.

“Do what?” Kravitz asks as his hands fall off of Taako.

Taako looks away from him momentarily to grab an open bottle of wine off the counter and started leading him back to the couch. Kravitz follows without saying anything else, though he desperately wants to. Everything about Taako intrigues him and he finds himself needing more and more every time they meet.

“I thought I’d be able to cook for someone I- for you.” Taako takes a deep swig of wine straight from the bottle.

“You were- you were doing great.” Kravitz lies.

“No I wasn’t. I- I could have cooked that blindfolded in twenty minutes ten years ago. I thought that knowing it wasn’t my fault would make it better but I feel even worse.”

Kravitz knew enough about Taako’s life from his work to know what he was talking about, but what he couldn’t make sense of was how much it seemed to effect him. He never seemed the type.

Luckily he was saved from having to say anything as Taako continued.

“I’ve been practicing a lot lately, mostly breakfast for myself, but I…I guess I wanted to do another test run before I bring it up with Magno and Merle.”

“Then what seems to be the problem?” Kravitz moves to cradle Taako’s much warmer hands again, which makes him release a surprised ‘oh!’ and sigh softly.

 “It, um… it appears I’m still nervous on account of…how I like you a bit more than I was planning on and, well, boy howdy if that’s not the ticket!”

All of a sudden Taako is struck by how uniquely different this situation is from anything that happened with Sazed. Where he had been loud and self assured Kravitz is quiet and almost hesitant about anything that doesn’t directly involve his work. His hands are long and graceful where Sazed’s were rough and clumsy. Everything from the straight nose on Kravitz’s dark face to the way he dresses is in stark contrast to Sazed.

He laughs nervously.

“It all seems a bit silly now.” Taako murmurs, searching Kravitz’s face for something before settling on his eyes and smiling.

He hitches a leg over Kravitz so he’s effectively sitting on his lap which makes him stiffen in response.

“Relax” Taako takes his awkward hands and puts them around himself. “Just trying to get my cuddle on.”

He whispers the last part into Kravitz’s neck and for a moment of silence that’s how they stay.

…

“Let’s order a pizza.”

“I’m not sure we can do that on the moon.”

“Oh.”


End file.
